Revs win MLS’ 2012 Xbox Fair Play Award

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution has won Major League Soccer’s 2012 Xbox Team Fair Play Award, the league announced this morning. The Revs were one of three teams announced as finalists last week, joining the Houston Dynamo and the Chicago Fire. This marks the team’s third MLS Fair Play award, as the club also won in 2003 and 2008.

The fair play award finalists – both team and individual player awards – were chosen based on objective criteria, including fewest fouls committed and cards received, and a subjective evaluation of sportsman-like behavior.

In 2012, head coach Jay Heaps’ Revolution team committed 360 fouls, the second-lowest total in MLS. The team’s 40 cautions was the league’s third-lowest total, while the team’s two red cards (a third was later rescinded), was tied for the second-lowest total in MLS. Additionally, no Revolution player served a caution-accumulation suspension in 2012.

In addition to the team’s three team fair play awards, two Revs players – Michael Parkhust (2007, 2008) and Steve Ralston (2009) – have won the individual award. Ralston (2006) and Darrius Barnes (2011) were also previously finalists for the individual award.

In the same announcement this morning, the league also announced Chicago defender Austin Berry as the 2012 rookie of the year, and Chicago midfielder Logan Pause as the individual fair play award winner. The rest of the 2012 MLS awards will be announced in the next two weeks leading up to MLS Cup 2012 on Saturday, Dec. 1, in LA.